Vancouver Canucks fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of prospect Tom Willander will need to exercise a bit more patience, as he now has other commitments to attend to.
The Boston University Terriers have punched their ticket to the NCAA Frozen Four for the 25th time in program history after a hard-fought 3-2 overtime victory over Cornell in the Toledo Regional finals.
The tightly contested match saw BU fend off an upset bid from the fourth-seeded Cornell, which had already stunned top-seeded Michigan State in the opening round.
After two periods, the teams were knotted at one goal each, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
In the third, Washington Capitals prospect Cole Hutson went to work, roofing a shot from a near-impossible angle to give the Terriers their first lead of the game.
However, Cornell responded with just over five minutes remaining, leveling the score at 2-2 and pushing the game into overtime.
The extra frame didn’t last long.
At 6:25, Quinn Hutson unleashed a 50-foot shot from the point that threaded its way through traffic and across the goal line, officially sending the Terriers to St. Louis.
Boston now awaits the outcome of Sunday’s matchup between UConn and Penn State. The winner will face BU in the Frozen Four semifinals on April 10th.
The National Championship game is set for April 12th.
For Canucks fans, the victory not only begs whether he will sign his official Entry-Level deal, but if he will have time to join Vancouver at all this season. Vancouver’s regular season concludes on April 16th, just days after the NCAA Championship game.
Even if BU falls in the semifinals, the timeline leaves little room for Willander to join the Canucks for the tail end of their campaign. However, with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks in a strong playoff position, an alternative path to begin his professional career in the minors remains a very strong possibility.
For now, Canucks faithful can take pride in their prospect’s success while anticipating his eventual arrival—whenever that may be.
